IT’S DIABETES PREVENTION WEEK – KNOW YOUR RISK AND PREVENT DIABETES
THIS Diabetes Prevention Week (1-7 April) is a great opportunity to look in to reducing your risk of developing diabetes.
Diabetes is a growing concern in the UK. Diabetes can have a significant impact on your quality of life. In Thurrock, around 5000 people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes – a largely preventable disease. Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is working closely with GP practices in Thurrock to ensure that the most at risk patients are invited to join the new programme.
As well as potentially leading to periods of illness and ill health, diabetes needs to be considered for many everyday things beyond just what you eat such as driving, insurance, employment, travelling, even pregnancy.
Healthier You: The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) started in 2016 with the specific task of helping at risk people reduce their chances of developing the disease.
Those referred to the nine-month programme will receive personalised help to reduce their risk, including education on healthy eating and lifestyle, help to lose weight and bespoke physical exercise programmes.
Participants receive support to change their lifestyle in a friendly and supportive group environment, facilitated by specialist staff trained in behaviour change and diabetes prevention and recruited from the local community.
Kehinde Adeniji, Senior Commissioning Manager – Planned and Unplanned Care at Thurrock CCG said:
“We are keen to support people who may be diagnosed as pre-diabetic or been told they are at risk of developing diabetes. Prevention is the message for Diabetes Prevention Week, we are encouraging people to find out their risk and then take up the support available for you. People who have been on the programme have told us what a difference it has made to their wellbeing. Don’t delay, use this week as your motivator for change.”
Find out your risk of Type 2 diabetes by using the Diabetes UK Know Your Risk Score at https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start
If you have been told you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, are registered at a GP practice in Essex and haven’t already been referred to the programme, you can ask your GP, nurse or NHS Health Check professional to refer you.
You can also register for the programme online by visiting the Healthier You: DPP website. https://preventing-diabetes.co.uk/essex/. Please note: you will need a letter from your GP that confirms you are at risk of type 2 diabetes and are able to register for the programme. You will need the following information contained in the letter to complete the registration process:
· Your NHS number
· Your latest HbA1c or FPG reading, including the date
· Your GP surgery name
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